KU Track & Field Sending Nine to Olympic Trials in Eugene
June 20, 2012
Kansas Trials Schedule 
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – The University of Kansas track & field team will see nine of its athletes vie for spots on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team as they compete at the Olympic Trials June 22 to July 1 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The top three finishers of each event will represent the U.S. at the 2012 Olympic Games in London which begin July 25.
Kansas had five Jayhawks automatically qualify for the Trials by hitting the A-Standard marks or time. All-American Rebeka Stowe, who just completed her senior season, was the first to punch her ticket to the meet in Eugene, running the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in a school-record 9:52.82 at the Payton Jordan Invitational on April 29. She currently sits as the 10th-ranked American and will hit the track for the Steeplechase qualifying heats on Monday, June 25 at 6:25 p.m. (CT).
Andrea Geubelle is the most recent Jayhawk to claim the Trials’ automatic mark, leaping to a school-record mark of 13.86 meters (45-05.75 ft.) in her third-place finish at the NCAA Championships two weeks ago. The junior, who is the fourth-ranked American in the event, will begin her week in the triple jump qualifying rounds on Saturday, June 23 at 5:20 p.m. Geubelle will also likely take part in the long jump competition later in the week on Friday, June 29 at 5:30 p.m. (CT).
Diamond Dixon has been among the top-ranked Americans in the 400 meters for the majority of the outdoor season. She won the Big 12 title in the event on May 13, running to a personal best and school record time of 51.09, which claimed her automatic spot at the Trials. The All-American will begin her march to the 2012 Olympics competing in the first round of the 400 meters on Friday, June 22 at 5:35 p.m. (CT).
Freshman phenom Michael Stigler has had an outstanding debut season for the Jayhawks and he hopes to make more highlights as he runs in the 400-meter hurdles. The Canyon, Texas native earned his trip to Eugene with his school-record time of 49.45 in his Big 12 Championship win in the event on May 12. He will take to the Hayward Field track at 8 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, June 28.
Junior Paris Daniels will run in the 200 meters after claiming the automatic time with her win in the event at the Big 12 Championships, notching a time of 22.89 on May 13. The St. Louis, Mo., native will run in the first round of the 200 meters at 8:45 p.m. (CT) on Thursday, June 28.
The Jayhawks will also send four athletes to Oregon who have collected B-standard marks and times, which allows them entrance in the meet as long as it is among the top 24-28 in the nation. Junior Mason Finley will take part in the discus after throwing 61.40 meters (201-5 ft.) in late March. He’ll throw in the qualifying rounds of the event Monday, June 25 at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Kyle Clemons, who holds a season best of 45.44 in the 400 meters, will likely be one of 28 to run in the first round heats of the event at 5:10 p.m. (CT) on Friday, June 22.
On the women’s side, throwers Heather Bergmann and Jessica Maroszek will see action during the 10-day meet. The junior Bergmann, who is the modern day school record-holder in the javelin, is slated to compete in the event on Friday, June 29 at 5:30 p.m. Maroszek, who recently became the school-record holder in the discus with her mark of 56.73 meters (186-1 ft.), will start the week off for the Jayhawks at 4:20 p.m. (CT) on Friday, June 22.
The Jayhawks will also see several KU track & field alumni trying to earn their way to the London Olympic Games. Seven-time Big 12 Champion pole vaulter Jordan Scott (2007-11) will jump in the qualifying rounds of the event on Monday, June 25 at 7:30 p.m.; three-time Big 12 Champion Crystal Manning (2005-08) will compete alongside Geubelle in the triple jump; two-time All-American Lauren Bonds (2007-10) is slated to compete in the 1,500 meters on Thursday, June 28 at 5:50 p.m. and Brian Bishop (2008-11) will accompany Finley in the discus throw.
Log on to kuathletics.com for complete KU track & field coverage throughout the meet, including live updates and results, athlete bios and news from the 2012 Olympic Trials. Don’t forget to follow on twitter at KU_Track.
